


Femboy Hooters, or the Time Percy Jackson Failed to Keep a Secret

by lucewrites



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Femboy hooters, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hooters, Humor, Multi, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:40:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25374037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucewrites/pseuds/lucewrites
Summary: Nico works at Femboy Hooters
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Nico di Angelo, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 6
Kudos: 164





	Femboy Hooters, or the Time Percy Jackson Failed to Keep a Secret

**Author's Note:**

> I came up with this at 2AM the other night and it's been haunting me ever since. Hope ya'll enjoy.

Femboy Hooters, or, The Time Percy Failed to Keep a Secret

Really, it all just started as a joke. Percy suggested it since it was now a Thing, and Nico was out of a job, and the tips were just decent enough to make it all worth it. “It” being how Nico was now, regretfully, a server at the highly esteemed Hooters. Suffice to say, Percy Jackson was dead to him.

Nico was a good guy. Yes, he was a little effeminate, but his chilly demeanor and bad boy look did more than enough to counteract that little fact. Either way, he did nothing to warrant his being hired at Hooters. He just showed up at the interview process, and the manager took one look at his smallish stature and polished face, and said he was hired.

Naturally, when he told Percy, he had a fit. “I just can’t believe - I don’t even have a feminine fashion sense! I didn’t wear makeup to the interview, either, and the guy just looked at me and said I was good for the job. What kind of interview is that?”

Percy just laughed. “It’s nothing against you, dude. You just have kind of a pretty boy vibe.”

Nico made a face. “The fuck does that mean?”

“I dunno, it's like, you’re Italian, right?”

“Yes, dumbass,” Nico said with a sigh and a glare. Honestly, he couldn't be more Italian if he tried.

“Right, so you have, like, really polished features. Like, high cheekbones and big brown eyes and long lashes, and a strong jawline. The thing is, you’re always really clean-shaven and your skin just glows naturally - which is weird, by the way, get that checked out. I dunno, those are kind of feminine features? It’s weird,” Percy explained.

“It is weird. I feel insulted.”

“Yeah, but you have a job, so you can’t really complain, right?”

And that was that. Nico started working at Hooters, and no one mentioned it again.

That being said, Percy was the only person that knew he was working for Hooters. And it wasn’t Nico’s fault he didn’t tell anyone. Hooters just had kind of a bad reputation, and he just knew that if Jason, or, God forbid, Reyna, ever found out he worked there then they’d be camped out at one of the booths making stink-eyes at anyone who dared to look at Nico’s ass. That couldn’t happen, since that was how he got his tips. Nico didn’t even think about telling Will.

Whenever his friends asked where he worked, or what he did, Nico always just told them that he was a server at a wing joint and that was all. He never mentioned his denim daisy dukes or the skimpy tank he had to wear tied at his waist, or how poor closeted dudebros would not stop staring at him when he walked by with a tray of drinks. Whatever he told Percy, he did so with little aplomb and description, since he knew that if he told Percy too much, then it would inevitably get back to Annabeth, and he just didn’t want to make it an issue.

Either way, Annabeth was the first of his friends (not including Percy) that found out. Really, he should have expected it.

His apartment was in a smaller complex in Brooklyn. It had one bedroom and just enough space for Nico, his cat Spot (named for the white patches on either side of her otherwise black head - they sort of looked like two other cat faces, but that is besides the point), and Will, when he was over, to be comfortable. This was good, because it ensured that most of his friends would not show up unannounced since he hardly had enough space for all of them.

Annabeth, however, was an entirely different story. She wasn’t necessarily the mom friend, but for some reason she took it upon herself to appear on Nico’s couch every once in a while to check on him. Nico chalked it up to their shared trauma, and her being three years his senior. When this happened, they would drink too much merlot and she would typically wind up spending the night and stealing cuddles from Spot on his couch.

Naturally, she was on his couch one night in July when he came home from a shift.

Nico had been working at Hooters for the better part of six months at that point, and he’d been surprised he’d managed to keep it a secret for that long, but all good things have to come to an end at one point or another.

Annabeth knew he had a new job. And although she was nowhere near the most protective of his friends (that title goes to Reyna), she was definitely judgy enough to give him hell about it.

So when Nico shoved his front door open after a gruelling shift at work, the last thing he needed was to see Annabeth on his couch watching HGTV. And he did not let out a (very manly) shriek at that sight.

Annabeth’s head whipped towards him at the sound. “Nico, are you -” She paused and took a look at him. He could see her mentally cataloguing his attire, and he just knew that he was in for it.

Annabeth didn’t lecture. Not really; that was Jason’s thing. Annabeth just gave shrewd looks and blunt statements and made an analysis based on the facts she acquired in any confrontation. Either way, this did nothing to dissuade the ball of dread slowly sinking to the pit of Nico’s stomach. He knew there was no way he was getting out of this conversation, so he just shrugged off his jacket and rested it on the hook under the peephole, and sat down at the other end of his couch.  
She said it first. “You work for Hooters.”

Nico looked at her blank face and slowly nodded.

“Percy told me, but I didn’t really believe him.” She gave him a calculating once-over. “Those are the shortest shorts I’ve ever seen you in.”

Nico didn’t know what to say. He was mad at Percy for spilling, but he was expecting much more judgement from Annabeth. “It’s part of the uniform. The girls wear them shorter.”

“I know.”

Nico nodded again and looked at the window on the far wall. Spot was sleeping on the sill, her long tail limply dangling off the side.

Annabeth sighed. “Well,” she said slowly, putting her thoughts together. “At least it’s safe.”

Nico looked her in the eye. “You’re okay with this?”

She looked startled. “You didn’t think I would be?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I thought you’d get all judgy.”

She just shook her head. “We all need money, Nico. As long as you’re safe and content enough to stay there, then I don’t have the right to say anything.”

It was Nico’s turn to sigh. “It was Percy’s idea.”

Annabeth chuckled. “I figured. Why’d you keep it secret?”

Nico gave her a bland look. “Seriously? Jason and Reyna are bad for business; I’d never get tips with them around, and Will would just have an aneurism seeing me in all this.” He gave a flippant gesture to his outfit. His shorts went three inches down from his hip, and his tank was tied into a little knot at his navel.

Annabeth nodded. “I can see that. Everyone else wouldn’t care though.”

Nico nodded. “Yeah, but...I don’t know. I’d just feel weird if Hazel knew. Like she’d probably be chill, but she’s my little sister and she does not need to see me like this.”

“You do know it is nothing to be ashamed of, right?”

“Of course! I don’t know, it's just weird.” Nico stood up and went into the kitchen. He returned with two wine glasses and a bottle of red. “I don’t even like it. Percy was just like ‘You should work for femboy Hooters’ and I went for an interview. I was hired on the spot because apparently I have ‘feminine features’, whatever that means.” He poured the wine and took a sip. “I dunno. I get good tips, though, and it's funny to see all the frat boys visibly question themselves when I walk by.”

Annabeth set her glass on the coffee table in front of the couch. “What are you going to do if everyone else finds out?”

Nico laughed. “Die on the inside? Honestly, I think it’d be fine if they did find out, but it’d still be weird. It’s just a little embarrassing.”

Annabeth hummed. “What if...Perce and I took them all to see you?”

“They would seriously question your sanity for taking them to Hooters before you even walked in the door. Like, you guys are not the type to just go to Hooters.”

“I’d tell them it’s for a good reason, obviously.”

Nico looked at Annabeth and could see a plan formulating in her mind’s eye. “What else would you do?”

She turned to him, a smile on her face. “I’d get them all to meet Percy and I in the parking lot and tell them there’s a surprise inside. We go inside, and sit at one of your tables. You come serve us, and we can see everyone’s reactions that way.”

“I guess that could work?” Nico was still unsure. He knew, logically, everyone would be fine with it. But something in him just wanted his job to remain a secret.

“It would. And, they’d have to control their reactions, since it’s a public setting,” Annabeth dictated. She seemed so sure of it.

“Look,” Nico drained the last of his glass and stood up to take their glasses to the sink. “I don’t care what you do,” he called over the running of the tap, “just make sure everything is moderately under control. I can’t lose my job over their reactions.” He returned carrying a pillow and a blanket. “Are you good staying the night? You don’t have to, but I figured I’d ask.”

“Yes, if you don’t mind.”

“It’s no problem.” Nico set the pillow and blanket on the coffee table.

“Also, please don’t be mad at Percy for spilling the beans. He did mean well.”

Nico sighed, slumping back into the couch. “I was surprised he held out this long anyways.”

“Yes, well…” Annabeth cracked a goofy smile. “He does have a bit of a big mouth.”

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. You know you’re also gonna know when he’ll propose, right?” Nico gave her a look. “He can’t keep anything from you.”

She blushed and looked down at the navy carpet. “I think it’s sweet.”

Nico made a face. “Of course you do.” He sighed and began to stand up. “I’m going to bed. Don’t tell me if you are going to bring everyone to work, please. I don’t want to know.”

Annabeth laughed and moved to get settled. “Will do.”

Despite the fact Nico told her that he didn’t want to know if all his friends were going to visit him at work, he couldn’t help but want to take that back. He knew that it would be fine. Really, he did. At the most, Jason would give him a lecture and Reyna would go all Intimidating Big Sister (and while Reyna would never replace his actual big sister, Bianca, that thought was still comforting). Leo would give him so much shit and would wind up getting reprimanded by Annabeth. Frank would be embarrassed. Piper would both be disgusted and really proud.

But. He was worried about Hazel and Will.

Hazel, darling as she was, was still a proper young lady. Her mother instilled that people should remain modest, since every individual body is a temple or something like that. Hazel was old enough to know that was complete bullshit, but she still thinks talking about how objectively sexy someone is is taboo. Also, Nico just holds his little sister’s opinion of him to a high standard. If she disapproved of anything he does, then he’d be heartbroken.

And Will. He was a whole other can of worms. Will was so laid back and easygoing it was hard not to feel relaxed in his presence. He was kind and sweet and dorky enough not to be awkward, but, God, he got flustered too easily.

Once, years ago, when they were still fighting monsters and being pawns for the gods, Nico was running around the strawberry fields. Will had just come from the camp infirmary looking for him, and when he saw Nico all sweaty and shirtless he just turned beet red and promptly ran away. Now, Will has seen much more of Nico than his chest, but he still is the same way. Nico rarely surprises Will with anything anymore, but the uniform alone would get him so flustered, and Nico was scared he’d run away again.

In the end, Nico decided, it didn’t really matter what his friends think. A job is a job, and there will always be more of them to come.

And Annabeth held true to her word as well. She didn’t tell Nico when she would bring the Seven and Will to his workplace, which was probably for the best, because when they did all show up, Nico had almost forgotten that he and Annabeth even talked about this. As soon as he saw all of his friends walk through the door though, it all came flooding back to him.

Luckily, he was at the bar getting drinks for the table full of old corporate men he was also serving, so he missed seeing all his friends get settled. He also could not afford to freak out since it would be completely unprofessional.

Nico pointedly ignored the fact that his shorts barely covered his ass. He ignored the gooseflesh starting to poke through his skin. He ignored the feeling of his mascara smudging just a little bit at the corner of his eye. No, for now he focused on getting the corporates their drinks and keeping calm.

And then he had to go over to their table. Oh God.

He braced himself and put a little pep in his step. He ignored the bubbling hatred for his job and wove his way through the crowd of patrons and fellow servers until.

“Hi, I’m Nico, what can I get you to drink?”

Every one of his friends’ eyes turned to him in almost perfect syncrosy. Nico plastered on a fake smile and tried to keep it together while he observed his friends’ reactions. Percy had a shit-eating grin from ear to ear. Annabeth gave him an apologetic look from next to Percy. Next to Annabeth, Piper was trying (and failing) to stifle her laughter, like this was the best thing she’d seen all week. At the end was Reyna, whose mouth was wide open.

Opposite Reyna was Leo, who matched Percy’s shit-eating grin tenfold. Next to Leo were Frank and Hazel who wore matching blushes. And then, Will.

Oh, Will. Nico was almost sad he was at work and couldn’t do anything else to warrant the flush Will was sporting. It was kind of endearing; he looked like Nico just made his year.

And Nico knew it would be okay, because Will was giving him that look. He could tell a few other things from the look Will was giving him, but decidedly ignored those feelings for another glance at those wide blue eyes and the red staining his otherwise tan cheeks.

Nico could look at that face for hours and never tire of it. But, he did have a job to do.

Nico cleared his throat. “I’ll just write down pints for the table, then.” He gave a shrewd look to Hazel. “Sprite for you, though.” No way in hell was he letting his little sister drink with the rest of them. He knew she could drink them all under the table, and he did not want to deal with his friends being bumbling idiots for the rest of the night, so someone had to stay sober.

The questions started when he returned with the drinks.

Leo was first. “When in the hell did this happen and why did I not know of this sooner? Oh my God, Nico,” he crowed.

Nico just scowled at him.

Reyna asked if he was coerced into this.

“No,” Nico said with a sigh, “I did this to myself.” Then he shot her a look. “If you give a death glare to any of the old men looking at my ass I’ll kill you. That’s what gets me tips.” He gave Jason a look too, indicating he was not to do that as well.

Will’s blush bloomed anew at that, and Percy cackled. “Nico, dude. Look what you did to your boyfriend!”

Nico levelled a look at Percy as well, and then chanced another glance to see how his boyfriend was holding up. Judging by how Will was still pink-cheeked and not passed out on the table, he’d wager he’s well enough. “I’m saying you want wings for the table. That good?”

After affirmations from everyone, Nico went back to get the food and ring them up, and that was it for seeing his friends at work. He had other tables to man, after all.

Later, when his new-ish place of employment wasn’t as much of a shock, and Nico was curled up into Will’s side, he asked what Will thought.

“What do you mean?” Will asked. He was tracing little patterns and swirls with his fingertips on Nico’s bare shoulder. It was distracting.

“What do you think of my job?” Nico reiterated. He was steadily beginning to get drowsy.

“I think it’s fine. I liked the outfit,” Will teased.

Nico smiled. “That’s kind of the point.”

Will pressed a kiss into Nico’s hair. “What’s it matter what I think, anyways? It’s your job. And I’m the lucky man that you come home to at the end of the day. That’s all that really matters.”

“Yeah.”

Will was right. That was all that mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
